Where We Be
| Wellington, New Zealand |
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| Cousin Phil and Jacqui made our time in Wellington special |
| Wellington sparkles at night from Mount Vic |
| Wellington is built around a hilly landscape |
Farewell South Island! On a fog-bound morning in
Picton, we drove the White Wizard onto Bluebridge
Ferry and headed across the Tasman Sea to the North
Island. During the three-hour crossing, I spent most of
my time talking with a very bored and impish six-year-
old Maori boy named Tewata Kinei. Tewata adopted
me for the duration of the cruise. As we prepared to
disembark, we were surprised to see Tewata waving
wildly and beaming at us from the van next to ours.
We had heard so much about “windy Wellington” we
were surprised at how calm and sunny it was. We
walked to Te Papa Museum, considered by many to be
the best museum in New Zealand. We experienced a
simulated earthquake and learned Lake Taupo is the
caldera of a huge and still-active volcano. Yikes!
That evening we met Robin’s cousin Phil and friend
Jacqui and shared a delicious Indian dinner. They
obviously love their city. Even though it was late and
they had to work the next morning, they took us on a
nighttime drive to some of their favorite Wellington
spots. We got a great panorama of city lights twinkling
from “Mount Vic” and stopped at the lit-up Beehive
and Parliament buildings. They showed us a great time!
Picton, we drove the White Wizard onto Bluebridge
Ferry and headed across the Tasman Sea to the North
Island. During the three-hour crossing, I spent most of
my time talking with a very bored and impish six-year-
old Maori boy named Tewata Kinei. Tewata adopted
me for the duration of the cruise. As we prepared to
disembark, we were surprised to see Tewata waving
wildly and beaming at us from the van next to ours.
We had heard so much about “windy Wellington” we
were surprised at how calm and sunny it was. We
walked to Te Papa Museum, considered by many to be
the best museum in New Zealand. We experienced a
simulated earthquake and learned Lake Taupo is the
caldera of a huge and still-active volcano. Yikes!
That evening we met Robin’s cousin Phil and friend
Jacqui and shared a delicious Indian dinner. They
obviously love their city. Even though it was late and
they had to work the next morning, they took us on a
nighttime drive to some of their favorite Wellington
spots. We got a great panorama of city lights twinkling
from “Mount Vic” and stopped at the lit-up Beehive
and Parliament buildings. They showed us a great time!
| Fashionable Cuba Street is at the heart of the city |
| Entrance to the Te Papa Museum, Wellington's pride and joy |
| View of "Windy Wellington" as we arrived by car ferry. Wellington sits near the southern tip of the North Island. |
| The austere Kapiti Coast is just a short drive north of Wellington |
| A VERY windy day on the Kapiti Coast |
| We bought cool T-shirts at Jacqui's shop on Cuba Street |
| Robin's new jade ring is a memento of our time in NZ |
| Elaborate Maori carvings in the Te Papa Museum |
| Boo! |
| Sipping tea on our private seaside patio at Paekakariki Backpackers |